FANS OF MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND BRUCE LEE URGE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO HELP PAY FOR MEMORIAL

Bruce Lee fans on Thursday urged the Hong Kong government to help pay for a bronze statue to mark the martial arts movie legend's 65th birthday in November.

The Bruce Lee Club has the government's approval to erect a 2.5 meter (8.2 foot) statue on the Avenue of Stars _ a tourist attraction that honors Hong Kong film stars _ along the city's harbor front, said Hew Kuan-yau, a member of the club's committee.

But Hew said the club has only raised half of the 1.2 million Hong Kong dollars (US$155,000; euro125,000) needed for the statue's construction, installation, insurance and publicity launch.

He appealed to the government to donate some money, but said officials had declined so far.

"It's impossible for us to bear the whole responsibility for the fund. Why doesn't the government agency contribute some? We are not asking them to pay for the total sum, but at least part of it," Hew said.

"We want people to know about the legend of Bruce Lee," he said.

The club plans to unveil the statue of Lee on Nov. 27, his 65th birthday. He died in 1973 at age 32.

Lee's fans voted for the statue to represent a pose from his 1972 classic movie, "Fists of Fury." The statue will be made by Chinese sculptor Cao Chongen, whose works include a statue of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

Hew said if they fail to come up with the extra funds, they will have to cut down on publicity.

"It will be a very embarrassing situation," he said.

Lee, who was named earlier as "Chinese Film's Bright Star of the Century," was born in the United States but moved to Hong Kong as a child. Most of his movies were filmed and produced in Hong Kong.

The Bruce Lee Club in Hong Kong has long wanted a Bruce Lee museum, but a shortage of funding and lack of available venues have been obstacles.

© AP News, 09-15-2005